fish oil supplements

 I use Grizzly Salmon Oil. Its in pump form, so super easy. The Vit. E, I just put in her food.

Erica does this help the itch?   Rocky is always itching.  There are no bugs or tics on him, no red spots or like our Rottie no dry hairless patches (we were told was hot spot).  Just itches.   I have been feeding them with garlic on their food and have tried to keep them off Advantix which has worked for 2 months now.  Which in our neck of the woods is amazing!  He is clean he is brushed regularly but....he still itches.

 I found with pumps, that they get messy and the counter gets messy and the capsules prevent that from happening. I buy fish oil that has vit E in it already so I only have to mess with one thing.

I buy regular human grade fish oil and someone told me (or maybe I read it here), I give as much as I can before the dog gets loose stools.  lol  I have no idea if that is accurate.  I give Gracie the Nature Made 1200mg pills, two or three.  So she gets 2400 to 3600 mg.  She weighs just shy of 70lbs.  I had tried other brands in the past, but she refused them.  Even with these pills, she won't eat her food if I squirt the oil on it.  She won't take the pills if I just hand them to her.  I have to pierce each pill, squirt a little bit out so she knows what it is, and then she'll eat them.

The other brand I tried, (as well as Derm Caps, tbh) after piercing the pill to start the ooze and then handing it to Gracie, she would take the pill to another room, squirt out as much as she wanted, and would leave the "casing".  AWESOME!  Oil on my carpet, AND something to squish btwn your toes.  She doesn't do that with the Nature Made.

Just a little feedback if you have a semi-neurotic dog like me.

I used to use the pump kind, made for dogs. I didnt like it, at all. The bottle got really messy, and Bailey didnt especially like the taste of it, so putting it on his food or in his mouth didnt work for him.

Now, I use fish oil pills (the human stuff). It says its "wild salmon oil", I'm not sure what the brand is(I dont keep them in the bottle they come in) but I think its Nature made.. or maybe Natures bounty. Its something with "Nature" in it.

When I first started using them, Bailey wouldnt take the pills and would spit them out. Squishing them in his food was a pain (cause he eats raw) so I poked a hole in one, and put it in his mouth till he chewed & swalled it. Aparently that made him realize that they werent all that bad, because now he will gladly take a whole pill (without me having to open it for him), and he seems to like the taste. 

shadowsgin

Erica does this help the itch?

Yes and no. Depends on what is actually causing the itch.

I think in Benny's case, it's dry skin and a lot of dead hair/shedding. He's always better after a bath, but bathing too much causes the skin to dry out - catch 22 right there. SO, I'm wanting to try the fish oil for him - it's also good for the heart and joints, so you can't HURT anything by giving it.

I don't think I'm going to do the pump... I emailed the grizzly company, and did not care for the response I got in regards to testing for mercury and stuff. I think I'll just stick with the human grade. I was using the NOW fish oil, I don't know what was up with the last bottle I got... very hard capsules. Maybe I should have just taken it back at that point, but I know it's too late now.

ETA: Chelsea - you SHOULD open the capsules. Dogs are able to digest the casing like humans are, so I've been told. They'll ingest the whole thing and not get the benefits of what is inside the cap.

 We use Sea Pet "200", as recommended by the girls' nutritionist. It has the vit e already in it, in appropriate quantities. It appears to be working, as nobody here has dry skin, despite weekly bathing and blow drying. Yes, I am a groomer, and my dogs are clean, LOL.

erica1989

ETA: Chelsea - you SHOULD open the capsules. Dogs are able to digest the casing like humans are, so I've been told. They'll ingest the whole thing and not get the benefits of what is inside the cap.

I've heard that too. I should have been more clear... When I said "take a whole pill", I just meant that I dont have to open it for him to take it. He always chews it first, so it deffinitetly gets opened.

Thanks Jennie - I'll look in to that one too!

Casey used to chew the other capsules I had... but wouldn't touch this last batch I got. I was SO glad he chewed them... the smell makes me nauseous! 

 just wanted to let you all know, walgreens.com is doing a promotion on the naturemade fish oils. Buy 1 Get 1 Free. I think it's only online but it offers free shipping if you get over $25 of merchandise.

It's all too easy -- particularly in dog stuff -- to get rancid fish oil -- which is why I never use the capsules. 

Either I use the liquid oil (and I like to switch off on Omega 3's -- I like Solid Gold and I like NOW) but my favorite way is to give them sardines.  One sardine per dog per day (and I use the cheapo sardines in olive oil)

But ALWAYS sniff it first -- even the human grade stuff can be rancid given that all the stores like to keep stuff for years in warehouses.

hmm.. interesting about the freezing.

My guys love the fish oil. I picked up some the other day, and they happily chew on the capsules. Don't know what I'll do with the other stuff... maybe I should take it myself! (yes, it's human grade)